Navigate:

Text Size

-

+

reset

But Democrats plan to speak with a very loud voice as the budget debate heats up.

The Obama grassroots network—now known as Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee—has launched an e-mail pledge drive on MyBarackObama.com in which supporters sign their e-mail address to the statement: “I support President Obama's bold approach for renewing America's economy.”

The pledge drive was announced with a video called “Ready for the Fight.” Plouffe e-mailed supporters over the weekend with a challenge labeled “The next few weeks”: “In the next few weeks we'll be asking you to do some of the same things we asked of you during the campaign—talking directly to people in your communities about the President's ideas for long-term prosperity.”

This is not an easy message war for Democrats. Obama's budget calls for the largest deficit in U.S. history and a doubling of the national debt to $23 trillion in 2019. That is a big, juicy target for the GOP, which plans to hit this theme relentlessly all spring.

Republicans were successful in making earmarks, which accounted for only a sliver of total spending, the centerpiece of debate over the omnibus spending bill. The GOP sees sky-high deficits as similarly easy to explain to the public.

So the Democratic allies—the administration, congressional leaders, outside groups and the DNC—are uniting for the new push.

Democratic strategists explain that the message is designed to accomplish three things:

—First, it could deflect attention from the size of Obama’s budget and blunt attacks on the ambition of his agenda.

“It helps change the conversation from their criticism of the president’s plan,” a top Democratic official said. “If they want to say he’s going to raise taxes in the middle of a recession or he’s got socialist tendencies—none of which we agree with—one of the easy things for us to come back with is: We have tough choices to make right now, and you have nothing to offer.”

—Second, by painting Republicans as politically motivated, the conservative House Democrats known as Blue Dogs may be less likely to side with the GOP.

“As long as they’re seen as reflexively political—saying ‘no’ to everything—the Blue Dog Democrats can say, ‘I don’t agree with everything the president proposes, but at least he has a plan, an outline of what we should be working on,’” the official said.

—Third, Republicans could look like they’re playing politics in a time of crisis, rather than disagreeing based on substance.

The DNC on Saturday issued a “Party of ‘No’ Update” accusing House Republican leaders of “obstructionist rhetoric.”

In a new Web ad called “No Responsibility,” the DNC argues: “America is facing tough times. Our economy is in need of repair. Millions of Americans are out of work Fortunately, President Obama has offered a plan to get our economy moving again. A responsible plan to create jobs by investing in health care, energy independence and schools. What are the Republicans offering? Nothing. No plan and no ideas.”

Here is a great story that should be part of President Obama's message:

One sunny day in January, 2009 an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush."

The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The old man said, "Okay" and walked away.

The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.

The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush."

The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?"

The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."

The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, "See you tomorrow, Sir."

My late uncle who worked in Washington for years said that the only difference between a Democrat and a Republican are their special interest. The older I get the more I see his point. I guess it's too much to ask that both sides just do whats best for the country and quit playing these games.

"the White House will harness every part of the Democratic Party’s machinery to defend President Obama’s budget"

Obama is the biggest political pos going. Instead of being able to articulate how spending taxpayer dollars on crap, is better than investing in business (read jobs) they'd invest their time, money and political efforts in political name calling.

Why don't they use the political power to explain how the stimulus plan will succeed. Oh, I forgot, it never has worked before.

Why don't they use the only tactics government controls that have worked before. Oh, I forgot, those are republican ideas....Tax Cuts.

The audacity of hope was for his campaign Fear and demonetization are for his reign His candidacy was rather like that of a Henry Houdini His presidency is shaping up to be much more like that of a Benito Mussolini

My fear is he's said in his book that he'd likely side with the Muslims if things got ungly...Things are looking pretty ungly right now, so do you suppose that he will now side with our enemies...the Mus....Nah...he would do that...would he? I mean just because he want so pump $900 mil into Hamas hip pocket doesn't mean he siding with the Muslims...does it? Just because he want so strip Americans of their right to bear arms doesn't mean he siding with the Muslims...does it? Just because he wants to destroy our culture and capitalism doesn't mean he's siding with the Muslims...does it? Hmmmmmm, what does it mean then?

Keep movin', movin', movin', Though they're disapprovin', Keep them earmarks movin' Porkhide! Don't try to understand 'em, They'll be free so just grab 'em, Soon they'll be living high and wide. Boy, their hearts are calculatin' All the graft that will be waitin', be waiting at the end of thier ride.

1. The major portion of the people the libs will activate to defend OB's ideas are young people and the only way they know how to defend these ideas is by vile, stupid comments that any serious person pays little attention to. You see this day after day on Daily Kos and Huffington Post. They are singing to the choir and of course they really don't care because they will get their little checks for being trolls.

2. The conservatives have learned that they need to post on all the blogs and sites and will be out in full force too...telling everyone all over the country that with OB they can look forward to TAXES and More taxes. And, don't forget they will be out all over the country at the Tea Parties.

One sunny day in January, 2009 an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush."

The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The old man said, "Okay" and walked away.

The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.

The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush."

The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?"

The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."

The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, "See you tomorrow, Sir."

This is just smoke and mirrors. Instead of being able to defend his policies Obama has decided to demonize and try to destroy the opposition. That is more like 3rd world country tactics. Skeptic do you have a life?

I find it interesting not a single paragraph to mention that this "message war" is a complete repudiation of the "new way post partisanship" campaign message?

Not a word ???

Especially interesting as Obama's "message war" has in its sights a bipartisan group of congresspeople, right? So Obama is enforcing the hard left ideology through his budget against all GOP and moderate Dems, and you dont think it bears mentioning vis a vi the repudiation of the "new way post partisanship" campaign message? The article is great re scoop on the facts to play out, I'll give you that.

But Politio is creating the new normal, and the "new way post partisanship" repudiation is going down the memory hole as if it never occurred.

The press reminded all of us of Bush's plans for bipartisanship every day for years every time a fight with a Dem came up. Here, Obama is organizing an active message war with BOTH Dems and all of the GOP and the media ignores the obvious repudiation of his core campaign message of post partisanship.